Game apparatus.



. PATENTED 0CT.18,19'O4.

E. J. DUPEIRB.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED no.1, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- N0 MODEL.

0 D N A T S D N QozuF IN THE BLEACHERS IS A HOME HUN.

BLEACH EH5- 1% human PATENTED OCT. 18, 1904.

E. J. DUPEIRE.

' GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET F- G v3 N0 MODEL.

human;

UNITED STATES Patented October 18, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,344, dated October18, 1904. Application filed December 1, 1903. Serial No. 183,851.(No'modeL) To a, wlwm it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, EDWIN J. DUPEIRE, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State ofLouisiana, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Game Apparatus,of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to game apparatus;

and it consists in the peculiar and ad vantageous apparatus, hereinafterdescribed and claimed, with which a game having all of the interestingand exciting features of the regular game of base-ball may be played bytwo persons or teams.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a plan view of the game-board comprised in my novel apparatus, thesame being shown with lettering omitted from some of the divisions ofthe diamond. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe bat forming part of theapparatus. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of the portion of theboard bearing the diamond and illustrating the lettering in thedivisions thereof, and

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the dart embraced in the apparatus.

Because of the smallness of the scale of Fig. 1 of the drawingsinscriptions germane to the game are omitted from some of the divisionsin said figure. It will be noticed, however, that the divisions shown inFig. 1 without inscriptions are shown in Fig. 3 as provided withinscriptions.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of thedrawings, referring to which A is the board of the apparatus, B the bat,and O the dart.

As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the board A is provided with a fielda, a space Z) of rightangle form bordering the inner corner of the fieldand hearing, by preference, the words Grandstand, a space 0 borderingone of the outer sides of the field and bearing, by preference,'theinscription, In the bleachers is a home run. Bleachers, a space dbordering the other outer side of the field and bearing, by preference,the inscription, Over the fence is a home run. Fence, a diamond 6,located in the inner corner of the field, divisions f, representing thebases of the diamond, divisions 9, representing the stations orpositions of the players constituting the nine that is in the field incontradistinction to the nine that is at the bat, and divisions it, intowhich the space between the spaces 0 and (Z and the foul-lines of thediamond is divided. The divisions j, which, as stated, represent thebases of the diamond, bear inscriptions germane to the game of base-ballin general and to their particular location in particular, as do alsothe divisions g and h. The latter divisions are formed by fine lines z',which diverge from the inner corner of the division f, representing thehome plate, and extend therefrom to the outer sides of-the field a, andfinediagonal lines which extend entirely across the field and aredisposed at right angles to the middle'line of those first mentioned. Informing the divisions h as just stated the entire area of the field a isoccupied by divisions each of which bears an inscription appropriate toits particular location with reference to the game of base-ball asregularly played.

The bat B (shown in Fig. 2) may be of any construction suitable to thepurpose of my invention without involving a departure from the scopethereof. Iprefer, however, to make said hat of paddle form and of suchsize that it may be conveniently wielded with one hand.

The dart which I prefer to employ. in my novel apparatus comprises abody is, preferably of wood, a barb or point Z extending from theforward end of the body, and a vane, preferably a feather, extendingfrom the rear end of the body and having for its purpose to cause thedart when in flight to assume a position with its point foremost, so asto enable the said point to enter the board and hold the dart thereonuntil the same is removed by one of the players.

In playing the game of base-ball with my novel apparatus the board Aissecured in an upright position on a wall or other suitable support, anda person representing the team at the bat takes a position at one sideof a line drawn or an object placed to represent the home plate, while aperson representing the team in the field takes a position about fivefeet at the opposite side of the home plate with reference to thesupport bearing the board A. The firstmentioned party wields the bat andthe second-mentioned party delivers the dart representing the ball insuch manner that the same falls slowly on or adjacent to the home-plate.Incident to the fall of the dart the batter strikes at the same and, ifhe is successful, drives the dart against the board, in which it willfix itself. The inscription in the particular division f, g, or it inwhich the point of the dart is fixed indicates the play made subsequentto the striking of the dart with the bat. For instance, if the dart isembedded in' the division representing the position of the catcher ofthe team in the field, it is understood that the batter knocked afoulwhich was caught by the catcher and that in consequence the batter isout. If the dart is fastened by the next batter inthe division f,representing the home plate, it is understood that such batter has madea fine home run and a score for his team. If the next batter up fixesthe dart in the division 9, representative of the position of thepitcher of the team in the field, it is understood that the said batterknocked a liner to the pitcher, who caught it on the fiy, and therebyretired the batter. In the event of the next batter up fixing the dartin the division 7L bearing the inscription Caught with left hand bypitcher. Out, it is understood that the said batter is out. This makingthree out, the side represented by the person at the bat is retired, andthereupon said party changes places with the pitcher, when the operationdescribed is repeated until the side represented by the last-mentionedparty is retired, and so on until the full nine innings of a game ofbase-ball are completed.

IVhile I have described the game as played by two persons, eachrepresenting a nine, I desire it clearly understood that the game may beplayed by any number of persons on a side, so long as the sides arenumerically equal.

It will be noticed by reference to Figs. 1 and 3 that the inscriptionsin the divisions f, g, and it and in the spaces 0 and (Z provide foralmost any contingency that may happen during the progress of a regulargame of baseball and that in consequence the game is calculated to holdthe interest and afford considerable amusement to adults fond of thegame of base-ball, as well as boys. Considerable skill is required tobat the dart in such a way as to place it in a particular division ofthe field, and this enhances the interest in the game and makes it amore lasting source of amusement.

The rules governing the playing of the game are similar to those commonto the regular game of base-ball-that is to say, first, three strikesare out; second, three fouls are out; third, three pitched balls fallingon the home plate, whether struck at or not, are out; fourth, fourpitched balls not struck at, but falling outside the home plate, givesthe batter a base on balls; fifth, with the bases full a base on ballsscores the player on third base, or, in other words, forces in arun;sixth, with players or runners on first base and second base a base onballs advances the said players, with the result that the bases arefilled, but no run is scored; seventh, with runners on the second andthird bases a base on balls fills the bases; eighth, with first andthird bases full a base on balls advances the runner on first to secondand fills the bases; ninth, with only one base full a base on ballsadvances a player only when he is on first; tenth, all batted ballsstriking outside the foul lines are fouls; eleventh, a ball remainingfixed to the bat, as sometimes happens by reason of the bat striking thepoint of the dart, or not remainingin the board A long enough to enablethe players to determine where it struck, is no play and does not count,and, twelfth, a ball fixed in aline on the board, between divisionsthereof, is no play and does not count.

Incident to the progress of the game the positions of the players of thebatting team on the bases may be carried in the minds of the players,or, if preferred, disks of pasteboard differently colored or otherwisedifferentiated may be used to represent the opposed teams, and when oneteam is at the bat disks representing its players may be pinned on theboard A as the players are advanced on the bases.

I have entered into a detailed description of the apparatus constitutingthe present and preferred embodiment of my invention in order to imparta full, clear. and exact understanding of the same. I desire itunderstood,

however, that such changes or modifications may be made in practice asfairly fall within the scope of my invention as claimed.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

The herein-described game apparatus comprising a board representing abase-ball field and having divisions representing the three bases andthe home plate and divided by fine cross-lines, and by fine linesradiating from the inner corner of the home plate throughout the area ofthe field into divisions, and provided in each of the divisions with aninscription germane to the game of base-ball and appropriate to theparticular location of the division in the field; said board beingadapted to be used in an upright position, and

a dart separate from the board; the said dart In testimony whereo1 Ihave hereunto set having a sharp point, whereby it is adapted, my handin presence of two subscribing wit- IO when projected against the faceof the board, nesses.

to stick in one of the divisions thereof and thereby denote the playmade by the party EDWIN DUPEIRE' projecting the dart, and this withoutliability Witnesses:

of sticking on any line, equidistant between ANDRE DONOMANT,

two divisions. AMOS J. FORD.

